Pipe-wrench



H. A. MICHAEL.

PIPE WRENCH.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 19. 19I8.

Patented July 29, 1919.

WITNESSES ATTO R N EY co.. WASHINGTON, n. c

HARRY ALVIN MICHAEL, OF BEAVER FALLS, PENNSYLVANIA.

PIPE-WRENCH.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HARRY ALVIN MICHAEL, acitizen of the Unitecl States, residing at Beaver Falls, in the countyof Beaver and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and usefulPipe-Wrench, of which the following is a specification. V

This invention has reference to pipe wrenches, and its object is toprovide a wrench of the same general character as that shown anddescribed in Letters Patent No. 7 64,619, granted to J. C. McQuilkin onJuly 12, 1904, for a pipe wrench,of which patent I am the sole owner.

A large number of wrenches made in accordance with the said LettersPatent was 1 placed upon the market but after extended use the patentedwrench was found to be Ultimately, howconstructively defective. ever, Isucceeded in devising the wrench herein shown and described, in whichwrench the shortcomings of the patented wrench have been overcome.

In accordance with the invention the wrench is provided with a screwstem pivoted at one end to the wrench handle near one end of the latterand held to the screw stem by an adjusting nut is one end of the shankof one jaw of the wrench, the other jaw being mounted in the handleportion of the wrench near the pivotal support of the screw stem. Aspring within the handle of thewrench, which handle is made hollow, islocated to act upon the rear face of the shank of the movable jaw so asto yieldably maintain the movable jaw in a forward position. When thejaws of the wrench are applied to a pipe or other part to be turned themovable jaw rocks on a pivot eccentric to clamp the pipe to the pipe ina manner When, however, it

between the two jaws.

' is desired to loosen the wrench from the pipe the slightest movementin the reverse direction to the movement of the wrench inturning thepipe immediately loosens the wrench from the pipe no matter how tightlythe wrench may have previously gripped the pipe.

The construction of the wrench admits of its manufacture in large partof sheet metal of suitable gage bent into shape while the jaws and partsimmediately associated there- .with may be made of steel forgings.

The invention wlll be best understood Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 29, 1919.

Application filed September 19, 1918. Serial Np. 254,792.

from a consideration of the following detalled description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing forming part of thlsspecification, with the understanding, however, thatthe invention is notconfined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawing butmay be changed and modified so long as such changes and modificationsmark no material departure from the salient features of the invention asexpressed in the appended claims.

Inthe drawing Figure 1 is an elevation of a wrench constructed inaccordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section thereof wlth the parts in a positionwhich may be assumed in grasping a pipe.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the wrench.

Fig. 4: is a section on the line 4=4 of Fig. 1. I

In the drawing, there is shown a handle or body member 1 with a handholdportion 2. The handle as a whole may be made of sheet metal of suitablegage bent into shape, a convenient cross sectional form being that of afiat ellipse, as indicated in the drawing particularly in Fig. 4:. Atone end the handle member 1 is expanded laterally into wingssubstantially parallel one with the the handle to form a slot 4 toaccommodate certain parts to be described.

The wings of the head 3 are recessed, with the bottom of the recesses,indicated at 5, at a slight angle to a perpendicular to the longitudinalcenter line of the wrench handle and the inner end of each recess 5 isundercut, as shown at 6, to receive the beveled end 7 of the stationaryjaw 8 of the wrench, this stationary jaw having the usual teeth 9 and acentral longitudinal lug 10 for insertion between the wings of the head3, the jaw being held in its seated position by a rivet 11 or otherfastening means traversing it. In this respect the wrench may be similarto other pipe wrenches.

There is also provided a movable jaw 12 having gripping teeth 13 as iscustomary and the jaw 12 is provided with a stem 14 which, when theparts are assembled, enters the handle 1 through the head end, thehandle being hollow and extends through the handle to near that end ofthe slot 4 toward the handhold 2. The stem is formed on the end remotefrom the head 12 with a laterally projecting lug 15 having a passage 16there through lengthwise of the stem 14. Spaced I lug 15 and shoulder 17the stem 20 traversing the passage 16.. The screw stem 20 constitutes aconnection between the head 3- of the wrench and the movable jaw by wayof the nut 21 which is confined by the lug 15 and shoulder 17 so that onturning the nut the movable jaw may be caused to travel toward and fromthe fixed-jaw, these parts being generally similarto the arrangementshown in the aforesaid Letters Patent.

Fast to the handle 1 within the latter is a spring 22, which may be inthe form of a leaf spring, and is located at the back of the handle soas to bear against the stem 14 at the rear. face thereof, thus urgingthe stem toward the fixedjaw, the free end of the spring being close tothe head end of the handle 1. The result is that the movable head 12 isconstantly urged toward the jaw 8 about the axis of thepivot 18,causing' the lug 15 to move toward the handle 1. This'will normally holdthe teeth 9 and 13 of the two jaws in substantially. parallel relation.If, now, the movable jaw be propelled by the nut 21 to a sufficientdistance away from the fixed jaw to admit the application of the wrenchto a pipe 23 and force be applied to the handle of the wrench to turnthe pipe, as for instance, if the wrench as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2 beturned counterclockwise, the jaws will grip the pipe in a manner tounscrew, providing the pipe is furnished with right hand threads. Inapplying the wrench the tendency is to tilt the movable jaw 12 away fromthe fixed jaw 10 in opposition to the normal tendency of the spring 22,thus allowing the pipe to seat between the jaws, Fig. 2 showing theposition of parts somewhat exaggerated. In applying a turning force tothe wrench the movable jaw travels over the fixed jaw about the axis ofthe pivot 18 and thereby brings the movable jaw 12 into firm grippingengagement with the pipe, forcing the latter against the fixed jaw 8 andthe teeth on the two jaws so firmly grip the pipe that the latter isconstrained to turn with the wrench. As the turning force is applied thescrew stem 20, lug 15 and nut 21 move toward the handle 1 to a.positionsomewhere between the positions shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and until thepipe is as firmly gripped as may be.

With the wrench disclosed in the aforesaid Letters Patent a spring wasapplied between the fixed jaw and the stem of the movable jaw with theresult that the spring tended to throw the stem of the movable jawtoward the rear wall of the handle. With the wrench of this inventionthe spring is located between the rear edge or face of the stem or shanklt and the inner rear face of the'handle 1 with the spring actingagainst the shank 14 at a point eloser t0 the correspondin endofthehafldle than the pivot 18 about which thejaw 12' rocks. The resultis that the normal tendency of the spring 22 is toforce thejaw'1-2forwardly and there-holdit and consequently when the wrench is'applied to a pipe or other part. to be turned the jaw 12is'for'cedrearwardly until the parts are properly gripped. Now,- when-it isdesired to release the wrench from the pipe ittrequires but a slightreverse movement of the wrench to cause the movable jaw to rock awayfrom the fixed jaw, thereby enlargingthe space between the tvv o jawsand'lettin'gygo'the grip on the pipe, whereby the 'wrenc'his at oncereleased from the pipe.

l/Vhat is claimed [is 1. A pipe wrench comprising a handle, a

jaw fixed thereto, another a'ssoeia'ted with the first-namedjaw'a'n'dprovided with a shank, an adjusting screwfpivoted to the jawend of the handleand extending away therefrom connected'to the shank ofthe movablej aw to constitute a support and pivot for said movable jaw,and a spring on the handle engaging the rear of the shank of themovable'jaw at a point eloser to the jaw-carrying end of the handle thanthepivot end of the adjusting screw.

2. A pipe wrench comprising ahandle member, a fixed jaw mounted in thehandle member, a movable jaw associated with the fixed'jaw and providedwith ashankmo'vable into and out of thehandle member in the direction ofboth'the shank handle member, anadj usting screw (pivotally mounted inthehandle member and s11pporting and constitutingthe pivotal sup'pbrtfor the movab'le'jaw, and a springcai'ried'bythe handle member andengagingthe'shanki of the movable a'w on the side thereof remote fromthe pivot support of the movablejaw.

3. A pipe wrench comprising a handle member of sheet metal bentlintoshape with a head formed of oppositely disposed wings and the side ofthe handle Where provided with the wings cut away to" form alongitudinal slot, a jaw fixed between the. wings,

an adjusting screw pivotallymdiiritedbetween the wings and extendingalong the slotted portion of the handle, a movable jaw associated withthe first-named jaw and 1 0 having an elongated shank with a hugtraversed by the adjusting screw and a shoulder spaced on the screw 5shoulder, and a spring fast to the handle within the latter on the sidethereof remote from the copies of thi toward the head end of the handleand there bearing against the shank, whereby to normally force the shankand jaw carried thereby toward the fixed jaw.

In testimony that 1 claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixedmy signature.

HARRY ALVIN MICHAEL.

from said 111g, an adjusting nut located between the lug and adjustingscrew and extended 5 patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0."

